Luggage with replaceable wheels

ABSTRACT

A convertible luggage having a removable wheel assembly is disclosed. The convertible luggage includes a body with adaptors rotatably connected to the basement portion of the body. The adaptors have a solid cylindrical form-factor and are provided with a pair of sockets and pressable buttons along the side portions. Wheel assemblies removably connected to the adaptors are provided. The first end of the wheel assembly is fitted with a wheel and the second end of the wheel assembly comprises a connector having a hollow cylindrical form factor. The connector is provided with a pair of extrusions and a pair of openings along the side portions. The pair of extrusions provided on the connector locks into the pair of sockets provided on the adaptors, and the pair of openings provided on the connector locks into the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptors.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to travel accessories. More particularly, the present invention is related to luggage such as convertible trolley bags.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bags have become an integral part of everyday life for humans around the world. They are designed in different shapes/sizes and offer a wide range of functionalities. Apparatuses such as trolley bags are unavoidable in any person's life who carries luggage from one place to another. They are used in daily life by people who go to their workplaces, people who travel for pleasure, etc. Their utility is so wide that many inventors have come up with different innovations to provide different additional functionalities.

US20130062843A1 discloses carts, trolleys, luggage or like load-carrying apparatus, are disclosed which incorporate two wheels which rotate about separate axes of rotation which are coplanar fixed relative to one another, and inclined to one another, preferably at an angle between 50° and 100°. They are mounted in such a way that when the apparatus rests with its wheels on horizontal ground, the plane containing the axes of rotation of the wheels may be moved to be vertical to allow the wheels to turn easily as the apparatus is moved along the ground, and moved away from vertical to cause the apparatus to be braked (as the wheels then try to travel in different directions). The assembly of wheels may be able to swivel over a narrow angular range relative to a base structure or frame. This principle may also be applied to three and four-wheeled load-carrying apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,730B2 discloses a golf bag including a base having a shaft. A pair of wheel assemblies are attachable to, and removable from the shaft. Each wheel assembly includes a wheel and an axle that fits within the shaft such that each wheel is extendable away from, and retractable towards, the base along a common axis. In another embodiment, a golf bag may be motorized.

US20070013170A1 discloses a universal transport device comprises a portable universal wheel assembly and handle assembly for attachment by retaining holding loop straps and a buckle strap to a golf bag or similar bulky object to ease movement of the article. The wheel assembly is attached to the object with the securing straps. The handle assembly is attached to the article with compression plates applied to a fabric component of the article. The wheel assembly and handle assembly are separately attachable and detachable as needed.

US20020101065A1 discloses a wheeled, portable, collapsible athletic equipment carrier is provided. A two-wheeled cart is incorporated in an athletic bag for aiding in the carrying of athletic equipment from one's vehicle to the playing area.

While bags are primarily designed to carry belonging, it is a common sight to see individuals using bags for many other purposes during daily use. It is common to see bags being used as headrest and backrest in many occasions. Further, convertible bags are also available in the market whose utility can be modified to perform a totally different function altogether. While such innovation must really be appreciated, most of them suffer from a disadvantage of losing their original utility upon converting.

Similarly, bags that can be converted into a supporting apparatus is one example of exploring additional functionality of storage bags. While there are few patents and products that try to offer such functionality, their main disadvantage is that they lose their original utility upon converting them to a supporting apparatus. That is, they no longer provide storage functionalities when converted. Other disadvantages include complex designs, requirement of separate accessories, large number of moving parts, and the like.

Hence, it will be advantageous to come up with a storage bag that can additionally function as a supporting apparatus with a simple design that is portable and easy to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the light of the disadvantages mentioned in the previous section, the following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification and drawings (as an example) as a whole.

Embodiments of the present disclosure proposes a convertible luggage. The luggage may be switched between a carry-on item and a personal item by removing or fixing a set of wheels onto the luggage. The luggage comprises a body for storing one or more items. A set of adaptors may be disposed onto the basement portion of the luggage. The adaptors may be rotatably connected to the body of the luggage. The adaptors may have a solid cylindrical form-factor and the adaptors may be provided with a pair of sockets and a pair of pressable buttons along the side portions. Furthermore, a set of wheel assemblies removably connected to the adaptors may be provided. The first end of the wheel assembly may be fitted with a wheel and the second end of the wheel assembly may comprise a connector having a hollow cylindrical form factor. The connector may be provided with a pair of extrusions and a pair of openings along its side portions. The pair of extrusions provided on the connector may lock into the pair of sockets provided on the adaptors. The pair of openings provided on the connector may lock into the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptors.

This summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments, to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description and figures.

The above-mentioned embodiments and further variations of the proposed invention are discussed further in the detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of an adaptor rotatably disposed on the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of a wheel assembly of the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is another illustration of the wheel assembly of the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of the convertible luggage without the wheel assembly according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of the convertible luggage with the wheel assembly connected to the luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary depiction of the convertible luggage showing the adaptor with and without the wheel assembly according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip necessities. On the return trip, travelers may have souvenirs and gifts. For some people, luggage and the style thereof is representative of the owner's wealth and status. Luggage is constructed to protect the items during travel, either with a hard shell or a durable soft material. Luggage often has internal subdivisions or sections to aid in securing items. Handles are typically provided to facilitate carrying, and some luggage may have wheels and/or telescoping handles or leashes to make moving them easier.

Luggage with wheeled carts on which luggage could be temporarily placed or that can be temporarily attached to luggage are disclosed in patents such as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,316 “Luggage carrier” by Anne W. Newton (filed 1937, published 1938). These were refined over the following decades, as reflected in patents such as a 1948 US patent by Herbert Ernest Mingo, for a “device for the handling of trunks, suitcases, and the like”. A US patent for a “luggage carriage” filed in 1949 (and published 1953), and another for a “luggage carriage harness”, were both made by Kent R. Costikyan. However, the wheels were external to the suitcases.

The first commercially successful rolling suitcase was invented in 1970, when Bernard D. Sadow applied for a patent that was granted in 1972 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,474 for “Rolling Luggage”. The patent application cited the increase in air travel. Sadow's four-wheeled suitcases, pulled using a loose strap, were later surpassed in popularity by suitcases that feature two wheels and are pulled in an upright position using a long handle. These were invented in 1987 by US pilot Robert Plath, and initially sold to crew members. Plath later commercialized them, after travelers became interested after seeing them in use by crew members.

More recently, four-wheeled luggage with casters has become popular, notably since their use by Samsonite in the 2004 version of their signature Silhouette line. These are otherwise similar in design to two-wheel roll-aboards, with a vertical orientation and a retracting handle, but are designed to be pushed beside or in front of the traveler, rather than pulled behind them. These are often referred to as “spinner” luggage, since they can spin about their vertical axis.

While modern four-wheeled spinnable luggage offers a wide range of advantages, the luggage as such tends to occupy more space because of the wheels. The wheels provided herein are complicated apparatuses and include a plurality of moving parts. Hence, the wheel assembly of modern suitcases are considerably bigger in size and occupy a lot of space thereby making them ineligible to be considered as personal item during air-travel. In most cases, if the wheels are removed, the luggage may become much more compact and may be considered as personal item by most airline companies thereby allowing travelers save a lot of time, energy, and money. The present disclosure proposes a solution to overcome these limitations.

In the following description of the embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

The specification may refer to “an”, “one” or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single feature of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The terms “luggage”, “bags”, “trolleys”, and “suitcases” may be used interchangeably depending upon the context of each sentence. The terms used herein does not limit the scope of the present subject matter.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a convertible luggage is disclosed. That is, a conventional trolley bag with a set of wheels may be converted to a personal item by travelers during air travel by removing the set of wheels provided with the luggage. The luggage may be switched between a carry-on item and a personal item by removing or fixing a set of wheels onto the luggage.

The luggage comprises a body for storing one or more items. The body may further comprise a plurality of compartments, lids, covers, zippers, locks, and the like. The primary components that allow the luggage to be converted includes a set of adaptors and a set of wheel assemblies. The adaptors may be disposed onto the base portion of the luggage. The adaptors may be rotatably connected to the base portion of the body of the luggage.

The adaptors may have a solid cylindrical form-factor and the adaptors may be provided with a pair of sockets and a pair of pressable buttons along the side portions (outer curved surface). Furthermore, a set of wheel assemblies removably connected to the adaptors may be provided. The first end of the wheel assembly may be fitted with a wheel and the second end of the wheel assembly may comprise a connector having a hollow cylindrical form factor. The connector may be provided with a pair of extrusions and a pair of openings along its side portions. The pair of extrusions provided on the connector may lock into the pair of sockets provided on the adaptors. The pair of openings provided on the connector may lock into the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptors.

The components of the apparatus may be discussed along with the enclosed figures for providing further clarity. FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of an adaptor 100 rotatably disposed on the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The adaptor 100 may be rotatably connected onto the base portion of the luggage. The rotatable nature of the adaptor 100 allows the luggage to be rotates along a vertical axis thereby providing immense flexibility to the user. The adaptor 100 may have a solid cylindrical form factor as described in the figure. The side portion of the adaptor 100 may comprise a pair of sockets 102 as described in the figure. Furthermore, a pair of pressable buttons 104 may be provided on the side portion of the adaptor. A spring based mechanism may be provided inside the adaptor 100 for allowing to-and-fro action of pressable buttons 104.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of a wheel assembly 200 of the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The first end of the wheel assembly 200 may be provided with a wheel 202 while the second end may be provided with a connector 204. The connector 204 may have a hollow cylindrical form factor. The connector 204 may be provided with a pair of extrusions 206 and a pair of openings 208 along its side portions.

The pair of extrusions 206 provided on the connector 204 may lock into the pair of sockets 102 provided on the adaptors 100. The pair of openings 208 provided on the connector 204 may lock into the pair of pressable buttons 104 provided on the adaptors 100. FIG. 3 is another illustration of the wheel assembly of the convertible luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of the convertible luggage without the wheel assembly according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of the convertible luggage with the wheel assembly connected to the luggage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an exemplary depiction of the convertible luggage showing the adaptor with and without the wheel assembly according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

A traveler may remove the wheel assembly 200 from the adaptor 100 by pressing the pair of pressable buttons 104 and sliding the wheel assembly 200 out from the adaptor 100. The pair of sockets 102 and the complementing pair of extrusions 206 lock into each other so that the adaptor 100 and the wheel assembly 200 are tightly coupled and do not rotate with respect to each other. The locking action between the pair of pressable buttons 104 and the pair of opening 208 further enhance this connection.

The body of the convertible luggage may comprise one or more compartments and one or more coverings for securely covering the one or more compartments. The pair of pressable buttons 104 provided on the adaptor 100 may extend outward from the side portions of the adaptors 100 while the pair of extrusions 206 provided on the connector 204 may extend inwards into the hollow interior portion of the connector 204. Furthermore, the diameter of the adaptor 100 having solid cylindrical form factor may be less than the diameter of the connector 204 having hollow cylindrical form factor. The difference in diameter allows the adaptor 100 with solid form factor to be inserted into the hollow interior portion of the connector 204. The wheel assembly 200 may be detached from the adaptor by pressing the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptor.

It may be noted that the above-described embodiments of the present solution are for the purpose of illustration only. Although the solution has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, numerous modifications may be possible without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Other substitutions, modifications, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present solution.

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features or steps are mutually exclusive.

The terms “include,” “have,” and variations thereof, as used herein, have the same meaning as the term “comprise” or an appropriate variation thereof. Furthermore, the term “based on”, as used herein, means “based at least in part on.” Thus, a feature that is described as based on some stimulus can be based on the stimulus or a combination of stimuli including the stimulus.

The present description has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing examples. It is understood, however, that other forms, details, and examples can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter that is defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A convertible luggage comprising: a body for storing one or more items; adaptors rotatably connected to a basement portion of the body, wherein the adaptors have a solid cylindrical form-factor and the adaptors are provided with a pair of sockets and a pair of pressable buttons along the side portions of the adaptors; and wheel assemblies removably connected to the adaptors wherein the first end of the wheel assembly is fitted with a wheel and the second end of the wheel assembly comprises a connector having a hollow cylindrical form factor, wherein the connector is provided with a pair of extrusions and a pair of openings along a side portion of the connector, wherein the pair of extrusions provided on the connector locks into the pair of sockets provided on the adaptors, and the pair of openings provided on the connector locks into the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptors.
 2. The convertible luggage of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises one or more compartments and one or more coverings for securely covering the one or more compartments.
 3. The convertible luggage of claim 1, wherein the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptor extends outward from the side portions of the adaptors.
 4. The convertible luggage of claim 3, wherein the pair of extrusions provided on the connector extends inwards into the hollow interior portion of the connector.
 5. The convertible luggage of claim 5, wherein diameter of the adaptor having solid cylindrical form factor is less than the diameter of the connector having hollow cylindrical form factor.
 6. The convertible luggage of claim 1, wherein the wheel assembly is detached from the adaptor by pressing the pair of pressable buttons provided on the adaptor. 